School Based Assessment: Gerakan calls for immediate activation of Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU) Lau Chin Hoon: Address the systemic deficiencies that cause the instability in SBA

Gerakan Central Education Bureau Chairman, Y.B. Lau Chin Hoon voiced his disagreement over calls from certain groups to repeal the controversial School Based Assessment(SBA). He maintained that the systemic deficiency of SBA must be addressed as a prerequisite condition to resolve the issue.

Systemic issues include whether the administrative system possess the vigor needed to fulfil the heavy mission, or getting distracted and fatique? Are there serious mismatches between the power of the decision makers and their capacity? Are the resources for implementation and monitoring sufficient? Has the Ministry of Education at all levels humble enough to admit mistakes and inadequacy, and open to listen and internalise the opinion of teachers and seek assistance other party?

Lau said, while putting the SBA system on hold is the right move, repealing it or flip-flopping is not good as we must address the deficiencies in the system that produce instability in the SBA. He added that that every problem must be tackled at the root level before others or else any future implementation will eventually meet its impending doom as the cycle will just keep repeating.

“If nothing is being tackled at the core and factors behind, the SBA might see its fate being identical to the PPSMI which died prematurely. Indeed, a failure analysis of the PPSMI could be used as a benchmark to rescue the SBA.”

In addition, he also called upon the Ministry of Education (MOE) to immediately activate the Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU) as stated in the Education Blueprint. He asserted that the MOE must stick to its delivery roadmap in the Education Blueprint to drive delivery of all Blueprint initiatives across the Ministry and schools through the activation of PADU. Lau believed that the presence of an active, competent and transparent monitoring and review unit will improve governance, management and communication with all stakeholders. Apart from this, he also proposed that non-governmental reviewers should be appointed to monitor the implementation of the Education Blueprint in order to ensure actual progression and eventual success.